Sweet, small, 3 year old dog looking for a home San Miguel de Allende Mexico Announcements & News


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Sweet, small, 3 year old dog looking for a home

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Sweet, small, 3 year old dog looking for a home

Description:

Pixie is a wonderful companion dog, loves people and love people's laps even more... She is about three years old, small and very good natured. House-trained, spayed and has had all her shots and is very easy to manage. Please help us find a warm caring home for her!

General details:

Website Ad Owner Website
Telephone 415 152 3836
Email gimli03@hotmail.com
Neighborhood/Colonias Guadiana
Placed by: laurie beth bohne
Email: Contact Ad source
Ad id: 341
Ad views: 748
Ad expires: 10.04.2008 (in -842 days)
Added: 11.03.2008


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San Miguel de Allende -- Today is Sunday, August 01, 2010 01:55 at our loyal server in the USA

In central Mexico, San Miguel de Allende is virtually the only place where you will find English spoken so massively that you will not have to learn how to say two words in this beautiful language. If the rest of central Mexico looks interesting then you are going to have to get bilingual and learn to speak Spanish.

What happened in San Miguel is beginning to happen where my wife and I have lived since 2003. Gentrification is happening at such a high rate of speed that I see Guanajuato turning into an other San Miguel in less than five years. The locals are beginning to sense the handwriting on the wall and are scrambling to hire Mexicans that are bilingual to accommodate the Americans and other English only speakers who are moving into Guanajuato.

This is how it began in San Miguel de Allende. When the word got out that it was cheap to live in beautiful San Miguel de Allende, the Americans swarmed in like locusts. They ran up the prices of everything you can imagine. And soon, the locals became bilingual. They had to in order to offer their services to the Gringo population that now numbers in the tens of thousands. That’s why you can go to San Miguel and live perfectly well (that is if you are Bill Gates rich) and never have a problem with the language.

That’s happening now in Guanajuato.

There are real estate agencies that are scrambling to hire bilinguals. There is also a fellow, with a website, who will, for a price, negotiate anything and everything for you since he is bilingual. If you do not speak a word of Spanish (a tragedy) and want to move to Guanajuato (an even bigger tragedy) then this guy is your man and he will take care of all of your Spanish needs.

I list him for you as a matter of courtesy. I do not know him.

All I know is that he offers this service:

Want to Buy a House in Guanajuato City?

Don’t have any ideas how to approach and deal directly with Mexican People?

Afraid of being "abused" because you are not familiar with Mexican and Guanajuato Business Culture, Laws, Locations, Neighborhoods, and Language?

Don't worry!, we have the solution for you by offering:

REAL ESTATE CONSULTANCY

(We are NOT a Real Estate Agency, We work FOR You) Our Services Include:

· Arrangement of appointments, directly with Owners.

· Visits to the properties.

· Simultaneous Interview Translation (English to Spanish and Spanish to English). You can ask about anything that concerns you.

· Assessment on area or neighborhood growth potential, accessibility, communications and services. · Assistance in value assessment.

· Price Negotiation assistance and advice.

· Information concerning repair and remodel.

· Advise on Security and Safety issues in relation to locations.

· Services for coordinating purchase and the legal process.

Price:

Free initial interview (10 to 15 minutes). $15 US Dollars per hour, a partial hour counts as an hour, cut off on a daily basis. $15 US Dollars per week to local phone calling to coordinate appointments and search properties. Taxi fees when necessary. (From $3 to $6 US Dollars one way trip).

Payments must be made on Fridays.

We accept U.S. Dollars, Euros and Travelers Checks, no personal checks nor credit cards.

Special rates apply for written translation and other services, please ask.

Contact: Hugo Rodriguez. / Phone: 73 22383 (Within Guanajuato City) 011 52 473 73 22383 (From The U.S. & Canada) (+) 52 473 73 22383 (From Other Countries)

English, French and Spanish Spoken.

We accept U.S. Dollars, Euros and Travelers Checks, no personal Checks nor Credit Cards.

I imagine more and more of these services coming up in the weeks and months ahead. I was told recently that the list of gringos waiting for properties is longer than the available supply. It is sad. What will happen is the same identical thing that happened to San Miguel de Allende. The culture will be transformed by most rich monolingual Gringos who cannot, because they want not, to learn Spanish.

The wife and I are looking for a place where Gringos would fear to tread as a new home.

It ought to be very interesting.

by Douglas Bower

Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Mexican Coke: The 'Real Thing?'
By TOM RAGAN
Sentinel staff writer

WATSONVILLE

It's popping up just about everywhere in Latino communities across the United States: Mexican-made Coca-Cola in those old glass bottles, somewhat of an anomaly in the age of the plastic liter and twist-off cap.

Slightly worn and a bit gritty from all the coming and going, the 12-ounce bottles, which sell for roughly $1.25 a pop, are being bought up and sucked dry at record clips in cities across the country with large Latino populations.

And Mexicans and Mexican-Americans aren't the only ones swigging down the soda bottled south of the border, claiming it tastes different from its American-made counterpart, that its fizz seems to last longer because it's in a glass bottle.

If running diaries on the Web in the form of blogs are any indication, just about everybody who likes the heft of a good old-fashioned soda bottle is looking for the Mexican-made pop in the thousands of ma and pa convenience stores that cater to Latinos.

"Mexican Coke is selling like crazy bro, and I can't keep up," says Rudy Mendoza of El Gordo Taqueria on Main Street. Last week the 20-something Mendoza, Salinas born and bred, was cursing the underground distributor under his breath as the slightly green tinted bottles, with the words "Hecho en Mexico," started to disappear from his refrigerator.

In somewhat of a conundrum, the Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co. has condemned the recent imports across the country as a form of "bootlegging."

But at the same time the company has recognized that it would be remiss if it overlooked the Mexican pop craze, which is why it is now buying Coca-Cola in bottles from Mexico and importing them to Texas and Southern California, two of the largest Mexican markets in the country, according to Mart Martin, a spokesman for Coca-Cola's North American division in Atlanta.

"We believe that the appeal of Mexican Coke is as much about nostalgia as it is about anything," says Martin. "It's like getting a piece of home in a bottle. You can't deny the fact that it's in a tall glass bottle, something you just can't find in most parts of the United States."

But it's the "same exact product," and Mexican bottlers are buying the ingredients straight from the company, says Martin.

"It's not like they're stirring it up in some backyard," he adds. "Coke is Coke is Coke."

The company, however, rarely elaborates on Coke's ingredients, and the secret formula is actually in a vault in a bank in Atlanta. Instead, the company line all along has been that there is "no perceptible taste difference" between Mexican Coke and the American-made Classic Coke.

As Martin says, "You have to consider the circumstances: the packaging, whether there's ice over it, the temperature, or whether it's in a can or a bottle. But what often happens is people think it tastes different because it comes in a bottle, and that's what we're trying to get our arms around. The 'why?' It could just be psychological."

Yet there is one kicker, and it's a fairly large one: Mexican Coke may contain the same secret syrup, but its sweetener is entirely different.

It's made from sugar cane, not corn syrup.

'The Real Thing'

Latinos are the fastest-growing population segment in the United States, and Mexico accounts for well over half of the roughly 33 million Latinos who live in the country, according to the 2000 census.

Certainly, this is not the first time the Mexican market has flexed its muscle, with an occasional borrowing from U.S. popular culture.

Look closely at the Mexican man wearing that Texas Longhorns cap or the World Series-winning Chicago White Sox hat. There's a chance it came from a market just off the plaza in Any Town, Mexico.

But then there's the real Mexican deal, like tequila, which has anchored many a margarita happy hour; or tacos, as popular as hamburgers, without which there'd be no Taco Bell.

Mexico's a country that's put the popularity of chips and salsa right up there with ketchup and french fries.

And in yet another nod to the lucrative Latino market, Frito-Lay just came out with a "fiery habañero" flavor of Doritos that all but requires a bottle of water during consumption.

It's no secret that the meteoric rise in the Mexican population in the past few decades in the United States has given rise to all products Mexican, which has made its way into the mainstream of the American psyche — from canned jalapeños to cheaper laundry soaps to the corn tortilla.

But taking a brand name like Coca-Cola and undercutting the American-made Coca-Cola distributors on their own turf hasn't gone over well with the largest soft drink supplier in the world, according to Martin.

Although the bottlers in Mexico are authorized and are making the cola above board, it's the non-Coca-Cola distributors — the guys who are wheeling and dealing it in an underground market — that are causing all the problems.

Lawsuits have been filed, but no dispositions as of yet.

"They're trespassing on the territory rights of many U.S. bottlers," said Coke spokesman Martin. "Bringing it into the country is not illegal. But what it does do from the Coca-Cola standpoint is it violates contractual rights that we have with our bottlers. And it has potential trademark right infringements as well."

The controversy has even bubbled to the surface in several blogs.

Ordinary Joes are mixing their thoughts and opinions with the best of the high-browed corporate types who've made careers out of analyzing products that sell and those that don't.

Grant McCracken, a noted anthropologist with a doctorate from the University of Chicago, wrote: "Some consumers now insist that Mexican Coke is a more robust brand than American Coke, not least because it is charged with meanings that American Coke never had, or long ago gave up. In particular, Mexican Coke is charged with a powerful nostalgia, a remembrance of childhood south of the border."

Karina Alejandre, 22, a recently arrived immigrant from Mexico who now cooks at El Gordo Taqueria in Watsonville, remembers her first sip of Coca-Cola.

And guess what?

It didn't even come from a bottle.

"We'd drink from plastic sandwich bags with straws inside," she said in Spanish, an imaginary straw in her hand. "We couldn't leave the store with the bottles."

Since Coca-Cola was founded in the late 1880s as a syrup mixed with carbonated water, it's gone from the soda fountain to the bottle to the aluminum can to the plastic liter.

And now it's back to the bottle, courtesy of Mexico, a country that's usually a few years behind the times, often fashionably retro because of it.

And in the backrooms of some Mexican tiendas in Watsonville, from El Gordo to D'La Colmena, cases upon cases of the Mexican Coke bottles sit, proof that there's a demand, which is causing a stir but saturating a Latino and non-Latino thirst across the country.

As McCracken notes, "The bigger challenge of the Coca-Cola Co. is to admit that even the magnificent corporation that has created and preserved the 'real thing' authenticity must now admit to the possibility that there are many authenticities. This is the lesson of plenitude. This is the lesson of the long tail."

Miguel Perez and Leticia Martinez, Watsonville residents, don't know anything about corporate lessons learned.

They just know what they like.

"When we run out," says Martinez, "I buy the smaller American-made bottles. They cost more, but they're worth it. I love drinking Coke from the bottle."

from www.santacruzsentinel.com
From the Vip Club Newsletter for San Miguel de Allende with information on restaurant discounts available for club members who have purchased the VIP Club Discount Card
  • Alfredo's: 1520072, Inside Posada San Francisco Hotel. Fine dining, international cuisine, lunch and dinner, 1 - 10pm daily, closed Mondays. 20% discount for cash.


  • BBQ Bob's - Salida de Celaya #6, 152-0807.
    (10%) ($100 pesos minimum).


  • Berlin - (10%) ($100 pesos minimum, cash)


  • Buen Café - Jesus & Cuadrante, 152-5807.
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Closed Sundays. (20%) ($100 peso minimum)


  • Bugambilia - Hidalgo #42, 152-0127.
    Lunch and dinner. Traditional Mexican dishes. (20%) (no credit cards for discount).


  • Café San Francisco, Posada San Francisco - Plaza Principal 2, 152-0072.
    Courtyard and street side dining, full menu, Mexican cuisine including seafood and full bar. (20%.)


  • Casa Blanca - Hidalgo #34, 154-6070. Famous for crepes, pizza and international cuisine. (15%) ($100 pesos minimum)


  • Casa Montana Hotel Restaurant, Pozos - Jardín Principal, 01 (442) 293-0032 International and national dishes in the midst of a one-time old ghost town in a small luxury hotel. (20%)


  • Casa Payo - Zacateros #26. 152-7277.
    Landmark San Miguel Argentinean steak house. (10%)


  • Don Quijote - Prolongación de Pila Seca #55, 152-0807. Bar and Grill, famous ribs and burgers, lunch and dinner. Closed Mondays. (20% cash, 10% credit cards)


  • El Asador Catlán - Km. 9 Salida a Querétaro, 120-8118 Open 1 until 7pm. Closed Mondays. Renowned traditional Spanish fare. 15% cash, 10% credit card


  • El Correo Restaurant - Correo #23, 152-4951 Good traditional Mexican food, full bar, closed Tuesdays. (15% cash, 10% credit card)


  • El Puente,Canal 48, 154-8466, open everyday, breakfast, lunch and dinner, 8:30 - 11:30 pm, featuring seafood and molés.(10%)


  • Finnegan's Restaurant, two entrances, off Codo or off Zacateros. Full menu, live entertainment, Wednesday through Saturday evenings, with a live Sunday Jazz session from 3-5pm. The menu is a mixed bag including Mexican dishes and some of international fame. (10%)


  • El Tomato, Mesones #62, 151-6057, Open, Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. All natural food restaurant, mostly vegetarian dishes and sandwiches, salads fruits and vegetable juices. 10 %, not valid for daily special.


  • Hacienda los Laureles: Open 1-11pm, everyday but Tuesdays. Indoor and outdoor seating. Full bar, extensive menu traditional Mexican foods, Sunday buffet. (20%)


  • Harry's New Orleans Cafe and Oyster Bar - Hidalgo #12, 152-2645 for dinner reservations. New Orleans Cafe, Fresh sea food, cajun and creole dishes, extensive wine list, open 7 days a week. (10%, Cash only)


  • La Fragua - Cuna de Allende #3, 152-1144
    One of the most traditional restaurants in San Miguel, chef Fernando is your host with special recipes, full bar. Closed Mondays. (10%)


  • La Boca: Hernandez Macias #88, open everyday except Mondays, tasty sandwiches, pastas, soups and salads, along with other specials. they sport a full bar open 'til midnight weeknights and 1 a.m. (15%)


  • L'Escargot, Hernandez Macias #66, 154-9024.
    Authentic French cuisine Lunch and dinner, specialties like Beef Wellington, Oyster Rockefeller and escargot. Closed Mondays. 15% discount.


  • La Puertecita - Santa Domingo #75 , 152-5011.
    Rated internationally, as one of the top 100 small luxury hotels in the entire world. (20%) (no discount on buffets)


  • La Princesa - Recreo (20%)


  • La Toscana, Hernandez Macias #83, 154-9608,
    open daily 1 p.m. until midnight, closed Tuesdays. Full bar and menu: Salads, a variety of pastas with various sauces, beefs, poultry and salmon. Wines from Italy, Spain, France, Argentina and Chile. 15% discount Cash only. $100 peso minimum.


  • La Vista, Vista Real Hotel Restaurant: Callejón de Arias #4, 152-3984. Hotel restaurant, International dining room and exquisite view of San Miguel. (20%)


  • L'Invito (Instituto Allende) - Ancha de San Antonio #20, 152-7333. Serving authentic recipes from the north of Italy great ambience. (20%) (Instituto Allende)


  • Los Famosos De Pozos - Hidalgo #10B, Mineral de Pozos, Guanajuato. 01 442 293 0112, quaint seeting retaurant in the so called ghost town of Pozos offering a full menu and bar while serving traditional Mexican food.


  • Manolo's - Corner of Pila Seca and Zacateros 152-7277
    Intimate sports bar, appetizers, full meals, draft beer, Sporting events, satellite direct TV. (15%)


  • Market Bistro & Petit Bar - Hernandez Macias #95, 152-3229. Country French cooking. Imported wines. Daily until 11pm, midnight on weekends. (15%, $100 peso minimum at bar)


  • Mesón Castellano - Salida a Celaya #57.
    Spanish restaurant featuring paella. (15%)


  • Mesón de San José - Mesones #38, 152-3848.
    Located back in a courtyard off Calle Mesones, Homemade soups and fresh salads. (20%) ($100 peso minimum)


  • Olé Olé - Loreto #66, 152-0896. The best fajitas en the region, (10%)


  • Pueblo Viejo - Umarán #6, 152-4977. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, Traditional Mexican and international dishes. (20%)


  • QUANDO foods, vacuum-sealed, frozen, comfort foods easy to prepare while placed in boiling water. Quando sells gourmet type food products that includes, soups, main dishes and deserts. Some of their selections are: Mushroom chicken roll, potato chicken roll, Coq au Vin with risotto, Chinese ribs, Lisbon, French and Valencia pork dishes, Toas chicken, chicken pot pie, meat loaf and much-much more. For club members this is a DELIVERY SERVICE ONLY. The 10% discount offered to members is NOT INCLUDED at retail outlets where they also market Quando products. There is a 30 peso delivery charge. Members can call 152-5153, 152-0038 or 044-415-153-3444 for immediate delivery. Ask for Pam or Cindy.


  • Punta Sush Ingo: Hildago #23, 1521619. Combination sushi bar and internet cafe. Open seven days a week. (10%)


  • Sierra Nevada - Hospicio #35, 152-0415. San Miguel's prestigious hotel, all three of its charming restaurants are available.
    Also try Sierra Nevada on the park, just below the Chorro, one of San Miguel's most beautiful settings. 15% cash or credit card (all three locations)


  • Tapas y Tinis: Umaran #36, Modern bar and restaurant, intimate atmosphere, serving tapas, serves late (10%)


  • Ten Ten Pie Restaurant: Corner of Cuadrante and Cuna Allende, Small, clean and resonable prices, local restaurant, open seven days a week, serving breakfast lunch and dinner, serves late (10%) (20% off spirits)


  • Tio Lucas: Mesones #103, 1524996, Hallmark San Miguel steakhouse, plus. Open seven days, serves late, nightly entertainment. (10%)


  • Villa Rivera Hotel Restaurant, Cuadrante #1, 152-2289. Behind the Parroquia. Inside and outside dining. International menu, wonderful ambience, Breakfast, lunch and dinner. (20%)


  • Villa Mirasol; Inside Villa Mirasol Hotel, open for breakfast and lunch in garden setting. (10%)

New restaurants are added frequently, and occasionally restaurants drop out of the program with 60 days notice. Ask for the bi-monthly restaurant club newsletter at authorized outlets for detailed information on restaurants and the current list of participants. All participating restaurants are under contract with the San Miguel Restaurant Club to provide the same fine service as they would to patrons who walk in off the street. Discounts are waived during happy hours, 2X1 specials or other special events in which the restaurant is offering discounts to the public at large.

Notice: Certain Restaurants and Businesses may have restrictions that do not appear on this website. Please contact The Restaurant Club directly for a complete list of participating businesses and restrictions.

From the Vip Club Newsletter for San Miguel de Allende with information on discounts available for club members who have purchased the VIP Club Discount Card
  • Accounting Services: Juan Manuel Orta,
    044-415-101-1805, free consultation for first-timers


  • Aqua Bell, purified water, call 120-3500, 19 liter jugs, home delivered, no deposit charge, 12-pesos, 20% discount


  • Art Print, San Francisco 11, upstairs, (quality full-color digital printing, 10% minimum $400 pesos)


  • BBQ Bob's, Salida de Celaya #6 organic produce, (10%, 100 peso minimum)


  • Beatriz's Vacation Rental Apartments - 10% discount off rentals apartments.


  • "Best of San Miguel" published by Joseph Harmes, (10%), order by e-mail:
    escritorsma@cybermatsa.com.mx


  • Black & White Shop - "Tonina" - now located Loreto 28A, 20% off


  • Camar Printing - 10% off all printing services, minimum $500 pesos.


  • Casa del Inquisidor, Aldama No. 1. Members may take 10% off marked goods. Casa del Inquisidor furniture & décor store, furniture, upholstery, rugs and hardware, in addition to Casa del Inquisidor's professional interior design.


  • Casa Linda, Luxury Hotel - 15% off for cash, 5% when using credit card.


  • Casa Montana Hotel in Pozos - 20%.


  • Chelo's Farmacia - 20% drugs, 15% off retail products except those already marked down, $50 pesos minimum.


  • Classes un LTD - VIP Club members may take 10% off continuous education classes. For additional info visit their website, www.classesunlimited.com, or call: 152-2483.


  • Clinica Izuinapan Pet Care and Spa. Veterinario Dr. Rodrigo Garibay offers 10% off pet needs including spaying, neutering, grooming and SPA services. La Clinica secializes in alternative and preventive medical treatment & Professional Grooming for pets
    Relampago #22 Col. La Lejona 2da. Seccion,
    Cell: 044 415 151 9325.


  • Darla's Jewelry, corner of Correo and Recreo, (15%)


  • Dryclean USA, Salida A Celaya No.14, 185-8200,
    Dry clean and laundry services, pick up and
    delivery, 15% discount, 100 peso minimum.


  • DuPont Paints, 152-39-87, (10%) off
    Two locations Salida de Celaya #26 and, Libramiento a Dolores Hidalgo #46, 044-415-100-6552


  • Elite Nails, waxing etc. Zacateros #29 (15%) 100 peso minimum


  • ERA Gift Shop, Zacateros #39, (10%)


  • Georgia Dering Massage Therapy, 044-415-103-3364 (10%)


  • Goldie Designs, Canal #9, (10%)


  • Helena Moreno Fine Arts Gallery, Jesus #18, (10% off marked items)


  • Hotel Casa Cafe on Hidalgo, (10%) coffee by the kilo, whole bean or ground


  • Intercam Casa de Cambio - (premium rate slightly above posted rate when cashing in dollars).


  • Joyous Heart represents, Shaklee, Mexico, Zamora Rios #9, Colonia Allende, 152 1213. Deep discounts to VIP Club Members.

  • La Morada Hotel - 20% off rooms and suites (some black out dates apply).


  • Lavamagico laundry service (home delivery), Pila Seca #5, 152-0899. (10)%


  • Noel Propane Gas, home delivery, (6%) off retail price 154-8383 Special Instructions, must call in for cylinders or tanks beforehand give card # and date of expiration. If encountering truck on the street must call in when in house. laundry service (home delivery), Pila Seca #5, 152-0899. (10)%


  • The Leather Shop - Umarán #1, (10%)


  • Moyshen Art Gallery Hidalgo #4, (10% off marked art)


  • McDonalds Mail Box Service to US (10% discount for year payment)


  • Patricia's facial & body treatments, Ladrillera #1, 154-8104. (10%)


  • Ren Ellis Leather Goods, Recreo 8A (10%)


  • San Miguel Health and Fitness Center - 20% off first month's membership.


  • Satellite Mexico TV - Welcome, SATELLITE MEXICO, VIP Club members can take 10% off services, including installation. Contact Chuck for info: satellitemexico@yahoo.com


  • 3 Señores - Camping and horseback riding. For reservations call:
    044-415-101-4976. 25% discount of regular rates.


  • San Miguel Designs; (www.sanmigueldesigns.com). (15%).


  • Satellite Mexico TV (10%) off services, including installation


  • Seventh Heaven Boutique - Sollano #13, Various discounts to members.


  • Stilo Lamps and Furniture, Casada Aurora, (10% off marked goods)


  • Vista Real Hotel and Vista Real Hotel's Restaurant - (20%) Blackout periods apply


Notice: Certain Restaurants and Businesses may have restrictions that do not appear on this website. Please contact The Restaurant Club directly for a complete list of participating businesses and restrictions.

Web site Questions/Corrections, contact web@vipsanmiguel.com and Lou Christine

VIP Questions, contact vipsma@cybermatsa.com.mx for the VIP CLUB

There are a thousand and one descriptions of San Miguel de Allende written over the past decades. Here's one writer's short take:


San Miguel's reputation as an arts center was established by the founding of the Allende Institute. One of its American founders, Stirling Dickson, came to Mexico as a tourist in the 1930s and fell in love with the city. A painter and engraver, he helped inaugurate the institute in 1950 and was its director until 1987. The lovely building housing the school once was owned by the wealthy Canal familiy. Fountains, arcades and courtyards gardens grace the grounds of the campus, which has extensive classroom space, two are galleries, a theter and a library.

Students from throughout the Americas take advantage of the art and language classes offered, and the institute also functions as a campus abroad for several American and Canadian art schools. The Centro Cultural Bellas Artes, is also known as the Centro Cultural el Nigromante (its official name) and the Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramirez. It is a branch of the wellknown Instituto de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. The impressive building, which dates from the mid-18th century, was once the Convento de la Concepcion and features an immense, tree-shaded courtyard. It offers music, dance and visual arts classes; a bulletin board lists lectures and concerts given both here and elsewhere in the city. Several murals are also exhibited, including one by David Alfaro Siqueirs.

San Miquel is known for the variety and quality of its regionally produced handycrafts. Metalwork -- masks, trays, lanterns, picture frames and decorative objects made of tin, copper, brass, bronze and wrought iron -- and the design of local silversmiths are particularly worth seeking out. Also available are pottery, weaving, sculpture, straw items, hand-loomed cambaya cloth (a material frequently used to make skirts), and folk and traditional art.

The colonial furniture is some of the finest produced in Mexico. Open-air Mercado Ignacio Ramirez, the city market, fills the plaza in front of the Oratorio de San Felipe Neri, and spreads onto the surrounding streets. Livestock and fresh preduce share space with inexpensive everyday items and souvenirs at the cheaper end of the price scale. The Mercado de Artesanias consists of vendor stalls in an alley. Pricier boutiques are scatted throughout the downtown area. Art galleries are concentrated around the main plaza, and exhibit openings are big social events. Two that showcase both regional and national talents are Galeria San Miguel and Galeria Atena.